March 27, 2013

THE MAN NOBODY KNEW: WILLIAM COLBY

Spy Vibe recommends: The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father Spymaster William Colby. Filmmaker Carl Colby, son of the former director of the CIA, has made an interesting documentary about his relationship with a father who was ultimately married to the world of deception and national security. Carl Colby approached the film in a style reminiscent of director Errol Morris (Fog of War) by placing the viewer in intimate one-on-one converstions with his dad's colleagues (and his mother), and intercutting these with historic footage. The voices are caring and candid, and one gets the sense that all of the participants are committed to helping Colby, and the audience, understand his father better. It's made clear that William Colby was a complicated man, hugely patriotic and committed to protecting the interests of America and the CIA. At home, he was respected as a man of high moral values, but he was not remembered as a warm father. The tightrope that William Colby walked between job and family became more tenuous in the Ford era, when he came under fire as a representative of the agency in a Congressional investigation into illegal CIA activities. The film does a good job providing a window into the Cold War, walking us through Colby's operations from the 1940s onward. And the film itself becomes a wonderful journey for Carl Colby, who must reconcile his father's character. The film is now streaming on Netflix. Official site here. You can order it on Amazon here.

From First Run Features: "A son's riveting look at a father whose life seemed
straight out of a spy thriller, THE MAN NOBODY KNEW: IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER,
CIA SPYMASTER WILLIAM COLBY uncovers the secret world of a legendary CIA
spymaster. Told by William Colby’s son Carl, the story is at once a probing
history of the CIA, a personal memoir of a family living in clandestine
shadows, and an inquiry into the hard costs of a nation's most cloaked actions.From the beginning of his career as an OSS officer
parachuting into Nazi-occupied Europe, William Colby rose through the ranks of
"The Company," and soon was involved in covert operations in hot
spots around the globe. He swayed elections against the Communists in Italy,
oversaw the coup against President Diem in Saigon, and ran the controversial
Phoenix Program in Vietnam, which sparked today's legacy of counter-insurgency.
But after decades of obediently taking on the White House's toughest and
dirtiest assignments, and rising to become Director of CIA, Colby defied the President.
Braving intense controversy, he opened up to Congress some of the agency's
darkest, most tightly held secrets and extra-legal operations.

Now, his son asks a series of powerful and
relevant questions about the father who was a ghost-like presence in the family
home – and the intelligence officer who became a major force in American
history, paving the way for today’s provocative questions about security and
secrecy vs. liberty and morality. The film forges a fascinating mix of rare
archival footage, never-before-seen photos, and interviews with the "who's
who" of American intelligence, including former National Security Advisers
Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense and Director of CIA James Schlesinger, as
well Pulitzer Prize journalists Bob Woodward, Seymour Hersh and Tim Weiner.
Through it all, Carl Colby searches for an authentic portrait of the man who
remained masked even to those who loved him most." Cover image below from Time Magazine.

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Jason Whiton

Jason Whiton is an award-winning writer, artist, educator, and the creator of Spy Vibe, a website devoted to Cold War design and pop culture that has seen nearly two-million visitors. His publications include Rolling Stone, USA Weekend, & Mort Walker Conversations. His book Spy Vibe will be released in 2017. Whiton's work as a screenwriter and filmmaker has been recognized by the Nicholl Fellowships (Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), PBS, and major film festivals and museums. His most recent piece is a music re-mix and award-winning film for Yoko Ono. Whiton's spy novel about a 1960s fashion model, MIKI ZERO, is out with agents. The story is inspired by his passion for Ian Fleming and the culture of Japan, where he lived for many years.
Jason loves creative projects & collaborations, and he enjoys helping young people to explore their lives as artists. He teaches Art in San Francisco.